


I'm in the dark and you're my light

by plikki



Series: Spin the record challenge [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, pre-reveal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27412309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plikki/pseuds/plikki
Summary: Adrien doesn't find the relief he needs just by transforming, like he usually does, but at least his lady is there for him.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Spin the record challenge [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994611
Comments: 13
Kudos: 104
Collections: Miraculous: Spin The Record Challenge





	I'm in the dark and you're my light

**Author's Note:**

> I thought that if I steer clear of break-up songs, I'd spare myself the pain. But this one had other ideas. For the jovial title Alive, I wrote this, go figure. Anyway, this is song 3 from Blue's Greatest Hits for the Spin the record challenge. Enjoy.  
> It's like a poison - just one cure  
> You're my remedy - for sure  
> There's an angel - at my door  
> I don't want to feel like this no more

Adrien tried to take a deep breath as he ran across the rooftops but his chest still felt tight. He was tired, so tired, of feeling like he was suffocating in his own skin, in his own home, trying to escape from his life, from himself. 

It was always the same - a simple conversation with his father would drive him crazy. He’d feel belittled, worthless, unloved, just by the way his father looked at him. The effort to keep his reaction to his father’s statement to himself caused this build up, this inability to function normally. He needed an outlet but even being a superhero and finally out of his room didn’t help him.

When he arrived at their meeting place, Ladybug took one look at him and knew something was wrong. They were made for this, they didn’t end up winded after running for 3 minutes. And he felt close to collapse as he stood there, taking gulps of air that didn’t make it to their destination.

“Chat, it’s ok, I’m here, whatever it is, it’s over now,” she said, a gentle hand on his shoulder. He tried to focus his eyes on her, to take in her calming presence. 

He barely felt her pull him into her arms but when his head fell on her shoulder and he felt her slender arms close around him, he felt something beside his wildly beating heart for the first time. Her warmth, the tender touch of her hands on his back, the murmured words in his ear little by little pulled him back from the black hole he’d been in. She was the only thing that kept him grounded, so it was no surprise that she could help him this time too.

He finally managed to take in a shuddering breath and actually feel it rejuvenate him. He managed to make his arms move and wrap them around her. 

“Thank you,” he said in a hoarse voice. He needed a drink of water or something, but he didn’t have anything.

“Here,” Ladybug said suddenly, pulling back and grabbing a water bottle from the rooftop next to her. Always prepared, always knowing what they might need, he thought as he took a few sips. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked when he finally felt human again and managed to smile a little. They sat down, because his legs were barely holding him up. He was tired, but this time for real - the physical fatigue that made it impossible to move any further. 

“My home life, it’s not pretty,” he started slowly. He couldn’t say much without revealing something he shouldn’t. 

“I suspected it was bad. After all, how can you love fighting villains that want to kill us on a daily basis? I mean, yeah, it can be fun sometimes, but it looked like you were trying to escape, to be anywhere else but home,” she finished, concern in her eyes. 

“You got that right. I’m really sorry to dump this on you. I don’t want you to worry about me,” he whispered. She had so much to think about already, she was wearing herself thin, she didn’t need to add him and his disastrous home life to the list.

“Chat,” her sharp voice made him look at her. “I’m your partner. You’ve helped me so many times when I needed the reassurance or just someone to believe in me. You’re always here for me. Let me return the favour, ok? I already felt bad that I only seem to take from you, without giving anything in return.”

“You give me plenty, m’lady,” he countered. “This is the only place where I feel normal. And this is thanks to you. I don’t know if I deserve to be your partner, but it’s the best thing to ever happen to me. I don’t want to imagine what my life could have been if you’d never appeared out of thin air to crash on top of me and tangle us in your yo-yo.” He could feel his lips stretch into a smile as he remembered their first meeting. 

“I’m glad my clumsiness was useful for once,” she laughed a little. “But I mean it. Let me comfort you, let me listen to you. I want to do it.”

“There is not much to say.” The meaning was clear to both of them so she sighed. “But I appreciate it, really. You being here is enough.”

“I know that this friendship is a little unconventional. I don’t even know your name or when your birthday is. Little things like that that are usually among the first ones we learn about new friends. But you are the most important person in my life and you should never doubt it.” Her voice was solemn and her eyes still unbelievably soft. He felt tears prick at his eyes and pulled her close again. 

“I know this is not what you want,” she continued, taking the fact that he was hugging her again in her stride. He felt her fingers ruffle the hair at the nape of his neck and it had a surprisingly calming effect on him. He was so caught up in this that he almost missed her words. 

“No,” he protested feebly against her collarbone and she shook with silent laughter. “

“I’m not saying being friends is not wonderful for you too. It’s just that I know you want more and I also wish I could give it to you,” she whispered and he could feel the pain in her voice. “But I can’t. Not yet.” 

He stiffened at her last words and slowly lifted his head to look at her.

“There are things I can’t tell you for safety reasons and well, just because I care too much about you. Yet I hope you can understand. It’s dangerous now, but hopefully someday it will be different.” He heard her voice catch and saw the tears glistening in her eyes. He felt his heart race for a very different reason, but knew this wasn’t the right time for it. No words could express how he felt, so he just hugged her again, holding her tightly in hope that this would make her realise how much it meant to him.

“I’m still here for you, always,” she whispered. 

“Thank you,” he replied. Yes, those words he needed to say although they sounded inadequate. 

This was enough, more than enough, for him. As long as he had her to escape to at the end of the day, he could deal with whatever life threw at him.


End file.
